“Disgusting”:

“Disgusting” was Beartooth’s 2014 release, which gave the metal/hardcore scene an album they didn’t know they needed in their lives. With this debut release, the band came in swinging with a characteristic style that was completely different than everything else that was around at the time and still today. The lyrics, when looking at the album track by track, provide the audience with content that is overly relatable, which helps to keep the audience intrigued before adding music to the mix. The instrumental material presented on the album is quite interesting, to say the least. When listening and analyzing the album, it becomes apparent that the instrumental material isn’t overly complex; however, the way the band delivers the material heightens its overall effect on the audience. Looking deeper at the instrumental material provided, the band utilizes heavy hits in the instrumental section in juxtaposition with brief moments of silence to play off sound and musical relief, which provides a cool mixture of timbres and color tones. Like all solid metalcore albums, the band includes breakdowns throughout most of their work; however, each breakdown is unique when compared to one another, and its function works alongside the lyrical material presented around it rather than just one its own. Throughout this album, it is apparent that there is a plethora of emotion behind the melodic lines sung by the vocalist, this is strong for the band, for it helps the audience relate to them more on an emotional level, and that notion will serve to get audience members hooked on their sound. Overall, I would give this album a 5 out of 5 stars (I know, my first one!). I am giving this album such a score for a variety of reasons. The first reason is that the band gives their audience an album that they could listen to on repeat and never get tired of it. In the same breath, the band provides the scene with innovative material that will inspire upcoming musicians in the scene. Finally, I landed on such a score, for this album is built, song-to-song, for an amazing live concert experience; meaning, any of the tracks on this album would be killer in a live event setting, and that’ll attract fans instantly.

Top Tracks: Beaten in Lips, Relapsing, and In Between.

“Aggressive”:

 “Aggressive” was Beartooth’s 2016 release. After an album like “Disgusting” the fans were expecting only the best from this band, and they didn’t disappoint even in the slightest bit. With this album, the band takes the positive traits of “Disgusting” and evolves them slightly to provide a more mature sound; however, the band primarily stays true to the same sounds and characteristics of the previous album, which was a smart tactic for the artist. Just like the previous release, the band provides lyrics on this album that are very memorable as well as relatable. Through this blend, the vocalist is able to switch between different phases of vocal types (clean and aggressive), which helps to keep the audience interested. Looking at the album in terms of its instrumental music, the band provides its characteristic sound through heavy hits on strong beats, various breakdowns that directly link with the lyrical content, and instances of musical relief through moments of silence. Though this sounds extremely similar to the first album, both albums embody their own musical style and identity. This is seen through this album with its genre relation. The album does, primarily, ride on the wave of hardcore/metal music, but when listening to the album track by track, one will notice that the album pulls more influence from the punk and rock genres mixed with its hardcore influence, which produces an ornate timbre for the listeners. Overall, I would give this album a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I am giving this album such a score for two main reasons. The album, similar to the first release by the band, sets the audience up for a phenomenal live event interactions, which is related to its memorable nature and heighten energy. The second reason I landed on this score is because the album itself provides the audience with music that is innovative within the scene, and is something that will resonate among various audience member types.

Top Tracks: Rock is Dead, Always Dead, and Burnout.

Who will the winner be???

The suspense…

…it’s killing me

All right, all right. I know this one is rather obvious, but to state it bluntly, the winner is “Disgusting”! Although both albums are fantastic, “Disgusting” ranked over “Aggressive” slightly for me, personally, in a few areas. The first reason as to why I would declare “Disgusting” as the winner is because there is a mood that is established when you hear any track from “Disgusting” come on. There isn’t a clear way to describe it, but imagine just stopping what you’re doing because you have to rock out: that’s what that album does for me. Another reason is the music that is presented in “Disgusting” is a tad more interesting, and it strikes the audience a bit more. Overall, I would recommend either of these albums to anyone who is a fan of metal or hardcore music, or to anyone who enjoys going to overly exciting live concerts. Side note: please see Beartooth live if you ever have the chance, you won’t regret it.